Nu-(dialkylaminoalkyl) androstanyl-17beta-amines, nu-alkyl derivatives thereof, and 2, 3-dehydro compounds corresponding



United States Patent The present invention relates to steroidal diamines of the androstane series, characterized further by an unsubstituted A-ring and, more particularly, to N-(dialkylaminoalkyl) androstanyl-17fi-amines, the N-alkyl derivatives thereof, and the 2,3-dehydro derivatives corresponding,

'which substances are represented by the structural formula wherein R can be hydrogen or a lower alkyl radical, R and R symbolize lower alkyl radicals, Alk is a lower alkylene radical, and the dotted line indicates that the 2,3 carbon to carbon linkage is optionally doubly bonded.

Illustrative of the lower alkyl radicals encompassed by the R, R, and R" terms are methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, and the branched-chain isomers thereof. The lower alkylene radicals designated by Alk are, typically, methylene, ethylene, trimethylene, tetramethylene, pentamethylene, and the corresponding branched-chain groups isomeric therewith.

The compounds of this invention can be manufactured by utilizing as starting materials, a-androstan-l7-one or 5ca-androst-2-en-l7-one. The reaction of these substances with a dialkylaminoalkylamine in the presence of an acidic catalyst affords the corresponding 17-imino derivatives, which are allowed to react with 'a suitable reducing agent, resulting in the N-(dialkylaminoalkyl) compounds of the present invention. These processes are specifically illustrated by the reaction of 5a-androst-2-en-l7-one with 3- dirnethylaminopropylamine in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid to yield N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-5aandrost-2-enyl-l7-imine, followed by conversion of that imine to N-(3-dimethylaminoefl1yl)-5a-androst 2 enyl- 17fl-amine by reaction with lithium aluminum hydride in dioxane. The N-methyl compounds of this invention, on the other hand, are obtained by heating, at the reflux temperature, a mixture of an aforementioned 17-keto start ing material with a dialkylaminoalkylamine and formic acid, followed by contacting the resulting N-formyl-N-dialkylaminoalkyl derivative with a suitable reducing agent. Specifically, a mixture of 5a-androstan-l7-one, 3-dimethylaminopropylamine, and formic acid is heated at the reflux temperature, afiording N-formyl-N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-5eandrostanyl-17 3-amine, and the latter formamide is reduced with lithium aluminum hydride and dioxane, yielding N-methyl-N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)- 5a-androstanyl-17fi-amine.

Those substances of this invention possessing an N- alkyl group of greater than one carbon atom are preferably obtained by acylation of the aforementioned N-(dialkylaminoalkyl) derivatives. Thus, N-(3-dimethylamino propyl)-5a-androst-2-enyl-l7fl-amine is converted to N- acetyl-N-( 3 -dimethylaminopropyl) -5 a-androst-2-enyl- 1 718- amine by reaction with acetic anhydride and pyridine, and that substance is reduced with lithium aluminum hydride and dioxane to aiford N-ethyl-N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) -5u-androst-2-enyl-17/3-amine.

An alternate process for producing the 5a-and-rostanyl compounds of the present invention involves hydrogenation of the corresponding 5a-androst-2-enyl substances. For example, the aforementioned N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-5u-androst-2-enyl-l7B-amine is shaken in ethanol solution with a platinum or palladium hydrogenation catalyst in an atmosphere of hydrogen to afiord N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) -5 oa-androstanyl- 17 ,B-amine.

Equivalent to the instant amines for the purposes of this invention are the corresponding non-toxic acid and quaternary salts, which are exemplified by the citrate, tartrate, maleate, ascorbate, gluconate, lactate, succinate, phos phate, sulfate, hydrobromide, hydrochloride, methiodide, ethiodide, methochloride, methobromide, methosulf-ate, and ethosulfate.

The compounds of this invention display valuable pharmacological properties. They are, for example, hypocholesterolemic agents as is evidenced by their ability to inhibit hepatic cholesteral synthesis. In addition, they are anti-biotic agents in view of their ability to inhibit the growth of such organisms as Diplococcus pneumoniae and Chlorella vulgaris and the ability also to inhibit monocotyledenous and dicotyledonous seed germination.

The invention is illustrated more fully by the examples which follow. These examples are set forth by way of illustration omy, and it will be understood that the invention is not to be construed as limited in spirit or in scope by the details contained therein, as many modifications in materials and methods will be apparent from this disclosure to those skilled in the art. In these examples temperatures are given in degrees centigrade C.). Quantitles of materials are expressed in parts by weight unless otherwise noted.

Example 1 To a solution of 40 parts of 5oc-androst-2-en-l7rone and 30 parts of S-dirhethylaminopropylamine in 440 parts of benzene is added 3 parts of p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate, and this reaction mixture is heated at the reflux temperature (for about 4 hours with concomitant removal of the water formed in the reaction. The solution is then cooled to room temperature, Washed with Water, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate containing decolorizing carbon, and stripped of solvent at reduced pressure to afford an oily residue. This oil is dissolved in ether, to which solution is added an equivalent quantity of isopropanolic hydrogen chloride. The resulting precipitate is collected by filtration and Washed on the filter with pentane, then dried to afiord N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) androst-2-e-nyl-17-imine dinydroch-loride,

CH: C Ha fl i Example 2 To a mixture of 12 parts of lithium aluminum hydride with 400 parts of dioxane is added, under nitrogen with stirring, a solution of 50 parts of N-(S-dime-thylaminopropyl)-a-androst-2-enyl-l7-imine in 450 parts of dioxane over a period of about 2 hours. The resulting reac tion mixture is heated at the reflux temperature for about 16 hours, then is cooled and is treated successively with an aqueous solution of 50 parts of dioxane in 12 parts of Water, 9 parts by volume of 20% aqueous sodium hydroxide, and 4:1 parts of Water. The resulting precipitated salts are removed by filtration and Washed on the filter with hot dioxane. The filtrate is subjected to distillation to remove the solvent, and the residual viscous oil gradually solidifies on standing to afford N-(B-dimethylaminopropyl)-5a-androst-2-enyl-l7B-arnine, melting at about 50 and displaying an optical rotation of +635 in chloroform. This substance is represented by the structural formula H N-CHzCHzCHzN Example 3 To a mixture of 20 parts of 5u-androst-2-en-l7-one in 73 parts of formic acid is added cautiously with stirring 40 parts of 3-dimethylaminopropylamine, and the resulting solution is heated at l70180 for about 20 hours. This reaction mixture is cooled, then is made alkaline by the addition of 500 parts of an aqueous solution containing 60 par-ts of sodium hydroxide. The resulting precipitate is collected by filtration and washed with water, then is extracted with chloroform. The chloroform extract is washed with Water, dried over anhydrous potassium carbonate containing decolorizing carbon, then is stripped of solvent, resulting in N-formyl-N-(3-dimethylarninopropyl) -5 x-androst-2-enyl-17 8-amine, obtained as an oil.

Example 4 To a refluxing mixture of 7.5 parts of lithium aluminum hydride in 200 parts of dioxane is added, in an atmosphere of nitrogen, with stirring, a solution of parts of N (3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N-formyl-5d-androst-2-enyl-17l3-amine in 200 parts of dioxane over a period of about 1% hours. Heating at the reflux temperature is continued for about 20 hours longer, at the end of which time the mixture is cooled, then is treated successively with a solution of 7.5 parts of Water in 25 parts of dioxane, 5.6 parts by volume of 20% aqueous sodium hydroxide, and 26 parts of water. The precipitated salts are removed by filtration and washed on the filter with dioxane. Removal of the solvent by distillation at reduced pressure affords the solid product, N-methyl-N- (3 dimethylarninopropyl)-5a-androst-2-enyl-l7fl-amine. This compound is represented by the structural formula A solution of the latter free base in other is treated With isopropanolic hydrogen chloride, and the precipitated solid is collected by filtration and dried to afcford the dihydrochloride salt, characterized by an optical rotation of +42 in chloroform. 1

Example 5 To a solution of 15 parts of 5a-androstan-ll7-one in 36.6 parts of formic acid is added, portionwise over a period of about 10 minutes, 30 parts of 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. This reaction mixture is heated at reflux with stirring for about 29 /2 hours, then is cooled and poured into a solution of 20 parts of sodium hydroxide in 600 parts of water. The precipitate which forms is collected by filtration, Washed on the filter with water, and partially dried in air. Extraction with acetone af- :fords a solution, which is diluted with ethyl acetate, then is Washed with water and dried over anhydrous potassium carbonate containing decolorizing carbon. Removal of the solvent by distillation aiiords a semi-solid residue of N-for-myl-Nd3-dirnethylaminopropyl)-5ot-androstany1-l7B-amine. This substance is characterized by the structural formula CH0 CH3 N-OHZGH2OH2N CH3 Example 6 To a mixture of 6.5 parts of lithium aluminum hydride in parts of dioxane is added, with stirring over a period of about 45 minutes, a solution of 13 parts of N-formyl- N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-5a-androstanyl-l7fl-amine in 150 parts of dioxane. This reaction mixture is heated at the reflux temperature for about 17 hours, then is cooled and treated successively with a solution of 7 parts of water in 30 parts of dioxane, 6 parts by volume of 20% aqueous sodium hydroxide, and 25 parts of water. The resulting precipitated solids are collected by filtration and washed on the filter with hot dioxane. Removal of the 5 solvent from the filtrate by distillation at reduced pressure afiords an oil. A solution of the latter oily product in acetone is mixed with isopropanolic hydrogen chloride, and the resulting solid is isolated by filtration, then dried to afiord N-methyl-N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-5u-an drostanyl-Ufi-amine dihydrochloride, which substance is characterized by an optical rotation of +2l.5 in methanol.

Example 7 CH3 H3 N-C HaCHzCHzN CH3 Example 8 The substitution of 45.5 parts of Z-diethylaminoethylamine in the procedure of Example 3 results in N-formyl- N-( Z-diethylaminoethyl) -5a-androst-2-enyl-17,8-amine.

Example 9 By substituting 15.5 parts of N-formyl-N-(Z-diethylaminoethyD-Sa-androst-Z-enyl-17 3-amine and otherwise proceeding according to the processes described in Example 4, N-methyl-N-(Z-diethylaminoethyl)-5-androst- 2-enyl-1718-amine is obtained. This compound is represented by the structural formula CH3 CHzOHa N-CHzCHzN CH3 CHQGHQ Example 10 By substituting 34.1 parts of Z-diethylaminoethylamine and otherwise proceeding according to the procedure described in Example 5, N-for-myl-N-(Z-diethylaminoethyl)- Su-androstanyI-UB-amine is obtained.

Example 11 By substituting 13.5 parts of N-formyl-N-(Z-diethylaminoethyl)-5a-androstanyl-17B-amine and otherwise proceeding according to the procedure described in Example 6 6, N-methyl-N-(Z-diethylaminoethyl) -Su-androstanyl-17flmine of the structural formula CHzCHa is obtained.

What is claimed is: 1. A compound of the structural formula N-Alk-N (lower alky) 2 wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and the methyl radical, Alk is a lower alkylene radical, and the dotted line indicates the optional presence of a double bond between carbon atoms 2 and 3.

2. N (B-dimethylaminopropyl)-5u-androst-2-eny1-17flamine.

3. A compound of the structural formula N-Alk-N (lower alky) a CH: i

wherein Alk is a lower alkylene radical.

4. N methyl-N-(3-dimethylam inopropyl)-5a-androstanyl-17B-arnine.

5. A compound of the formula N-Alk-N (lower alkyl) 2 C Ha wherein Alk is a lower alkylene radical.

6. N methyl-N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-5a-androst- 2-eny1-17fi-amine.

7. N (3-dimethylaminopropyl)-5a-androst-2-eny1-17- imine.

No references cited. 

1. A COMPOUND OF THE STRUCTURAL FORMULA 